Since We're Talking Walker.....

[Mitch Todd]

There's one wrinkle to the Walker shooting that I almost never see anyone talk about, though it's incredibly fascinating reading. That wrinkle is named William McEwan "Scottie" Duff. Duff had been employed as Walker's valet in early 1963, and came to the FBI's attention when a Dallas restaurateur called in to claim that he'd seen Duff in the company of LHO at one point. Duff, for his part, denied knowing or associating with Oswald, but counterclaimed that he'd seen Walker associating with Jack Ruby. There's a whole twisted saga that unfolds in CE2389, one that could be taken any number of ways. Read it and tell us what you think:

http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh25/pdf/WH25_CE_2389.pdf

[Steve M. Galbraith]

There's one wrinkle to the Walker shooting that I almost never see anyone talk about, though it's incredibly fascinating reading. That wrinkle is named William McEwan "Scottie" Duff. Duff had been employed as Walker's valet in early 1963, and came to the FBI's attention when a Dallas restaurateur called in to claim that he'd seen Duff in the company of LHO at one point. Duff, for his part, denied knowing or associating with Oswald, but counterclaimed that he'd seen Walker associating with Jack Ruby. There's a whole twisted saga that unfolds in CE2389, one that could be taken any number of ways. Read it and tell us what you think:

http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh25/pdf/WH25_CE_2389.pdf

Stranger things have happened but I find it odd that a vicious anti-semite like Walker would meet with a proud Jewish American like Ruby - or vice versa. Ruby was reportedly very sensitive to anti-semitic slurs and would physically attack anyone who made such jibes. So, what's the benefit for each person? Talk about what exactly?

In his WC testimony Walker claimed to have seen or heard evidence indicating that Ruby (who he called "Rubenstein" - Ruby's birth name) and Oswald were seen together. This was part of the far right/Bircher claims that the assassination of JFK was the result of a "Jewish/Communist" conspiracy.

Ruby heard about these claims and was deeply depressed. He came to believe that Jewish Americans were going to be blamed for the murder and that Jews were going to be killed in pogrom-like retaliation. It was this conspiracy that he wanted to go to Washington and reveal.

[Rob Caprio]

There's one wrinkle to the Walker shooting that I almost never see anyone talk about, though it's incredibly fascinating reading. That wrinkle is named William McEwan "Scottie" Duff. Duff had been employed as Walker's valet in early 1963, and came to the FBI's attention when a Dallas restaurateur called in to claim that he'd seen Duff in the company of LHO at one point. Duff, for his part, denied knowing or associating with Oswald, but counterclaimed that he'd seen Walker associating with Jack Ruby. There's a whole twisted saga that unfolds in CE2389, one that could be taken any number of ways. Read it and tell us what you think:

http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh25/pdf/WH25_CE_2389.pdf

Good post Mitch. In my posts on EAW in my series I covered his testimony where he said that his private investigation pointed to Duff being involved in the shooting.

[Mitch Todd]

Good post Mitch. In my posts on EAW in my series I covered his testimony where he said that his private investigation pointed to Duff being involved in the shooting.

The DPD initially thought Duff was enough of a suspect to arrest him. However, after questioning and a polygraph exam, he seems to have been cleared. The PIs that Walker's attorney hired to investigate Duff decided that the transplanted Scotsman was merely a con man and "a phony" but wasn't the shooter. Walker may well have believed Duff did the deed, but there's no evidence whatsoever for it.

When Duff had been cashiered from the Army (for enlistment fraud) and kicked out by his wife in early '64, it was Walker who secured a job and housing for Duff. I'm not entirely sure how to take that fact. Maybe it was a variation on the "keep your friends close and you enemies closer" meme. Providing employment and shelter for Duff allowed Walker, et al, to keep an eye on what Duff was up to. It certainly seems to have allowed Walker's PIs to sidle up to Duff. Or maybe Duff had something on Walker, and this was a way to keep Duff's mouth shut.  There are other possibilities, I guess, all over the spectrum of suspicion.

What I got after going though the Walker/Duff material was a sudden, intuitive revelation: "Hey, Walker was gay!" I found out later that my intuition was correct.   

[Walt Cakebread]

The DPD initially thought Duff was enough of a suspect to arrest him. However, after questioning and a polygraph exam, he seems to have been cleared. The PIs that Walker's attorney hired to investigate Duff decided that the transplanted Scotsman was merely a con man and "a phony" but wasn't the shooter. Walker may well have believed Duff did the deed, but there's no evidence whatsoever for it.

When Duff had been cashiered from the Army (for enlistment fraud) and kicked out by his wife in early '64, it was Walker who secured a job and housing for Duff. I'm not entirely sure how to take that fact. Maybe it was a variation on the "keep your friends close and you enemies closer" meme. Providing employment and shelter for Duff allowed Walker, et al, to keep an eye on what Duff was up to. It certainly seems to have allowed Walker's PIs to sidle up to Duff. Or maybe Duff had something on Walker, and this was a way to keep Duff's mouth shut.  There are other possibilities, I guess, all over the spectrum of suspicion.

What I got after going though the Walker/Duff material was a sudden, intuitive revelation: "Hey, Walker was gay!" I found out later that my intuition was correct.

What I got after going though the Walker/Duff material was a sudden, intuitive revelation: "Hey, Walker was gay!"

Yes, you are are correct...... And doesn't that explain WHY Walker welcomed the young man (Duff) into his home?

[Jerry Organ]

Stranger things have happened but I find it odd that a vicious anti-semite like Walker would meet with a proud Jewish American like Ruby - or vice versa. Ruby was reportedly very sensitive to anti-semitic slurs and would physically attack anyone who made such jibes. So, what's the benefit for each person? Talk about what exactly?

I think the "target groups" varied in intensity. At that time, the blacks, or suppression of same, rose to the top for the Birchers. In "civilian" life, people like Walker had their favorite Jewish doctors, lawyers and educators, for example. When it came to black-marketeers or women-providers, they might turn to someone like Ruby despite him being Jewish. Ruby, in turn, would have admired Walker's stance on Communism and Castro, and maybe his views on race.

Not much of a conflict if Walker watched what he said about Jews and Kennedy while around Ruby.

[Walt Cakebread]

I think the "target groups" varied in intensity. At that time, the blacks, or suppression of same, rose to the top for the Birchers. In "civilian" life, people like Walker had their favorite Jewish doctors, lawyers and educators, for example. When it came to black-marketeers or women-providers, they might turn to someone like Ruby despite him being Jewish. Ruby, in turn, would have admired Walker's stance on Communism and Castro, and maybe his views on race.

Not much of a conflict if Walker watched what he said about Jews and Kennedy while around Ruby.

Ruby KNEW something about the plot....   And he thought that the Jews were being set up to be blamed for the murder....

I suspect that he knew a lot more about the Walker group than he ever revealed....    I believe Ruby knew that there were Dallas police officers who were affiliated with Walker.......